PlayStation trophies are the worst

“PlayStation trophies have ruined gaming as I have known it since childhood for me. There, I said it. This doesn’t discount Xbox’s Achievement system either, as I’m referring to the platform specific merit system as a whole, really. I also love these merit systems. This has affected my gameplay experiences in many ways for better and for worse. It’s complicated so let me explain.“ — PlayStation Enthusiast

[PiNkFaIrYbOi]

Don't think that they ruined or made gaming worse really.

Me personally I don't care one way or another for them. For both Playstation and Xbox I have rather low scores for them and have never gotten a platinum or completely did everything to get all the achievements on any Xbox game. I don't go out of my way to get them just what I can get when I play though games.

[kneon]

I usually end most games with something like %20-40 of trophies, I don't look at them beforehand so I'm not going out of my way to get them. I'll only go for a platinum if I'm only a few short without having tried for trophies, otherwise I won't be bothered.

[rainslacker]

I see these kinds of opinions every fee months, and about the only thing I can sayy is turn off notifications, and forget about them.

If someone has a compulsive need to get the trophies, then that's a problem on them, not the system itself.

Overall, I think trophies add some repeatability to a game, or give incentive to do things that you wouldn't typically do. It can highlight Easter eggs the devs spent time building into their game. And of course, they add a comparative aspect to gaming which can be fun at times

[1Victor]

I enjoy trophies but I only go platinum the games I love like the main god of war series and games like starhawk

[thatguyhayat]

I see where youre coming from but the trophies doesn't change anything. If you want a challenge or make the game longer lasting then go for it. But others just play for the story and experience

[Shiken]

Trophies serves several purposes really, but the main purpose is to show your friends what kind of gamer you are.

Trophie Hunter- These guys go after platinums where ever they can. They rise to the challenges set before them and try to squeeze every bit of content out of a game before moving on. These gamers mostly have several plats to show off.

Hardcore- These guys are the ones that will usually get 60 to 80 percent of trophies, depending on collectibles. They do all of the side content and hit all the benchmarks, but they will not waste time looking for 900 korok seeds. They may have a few plats for the games that they absolutely just love, but no where near the same as a trophy hunter. This is where I personally fall.

Story gamer- These guys do not really have platinum trophies at all. They play the story missions, maybe some side missions, and move on. They spend time in some games more than others, but tend to put in the bare minimum amount of time needed to complete the core content.

Casual gamer- These gamers will play until they get bored and move on. They have many games with missing story trophies and are generally low level overall. They prefer short games and tend to do a lot of renting and trading.

Master of their trade- These guys have very few games on the list, but have literally gone beyond just getting the plat for all of them. Maybe they only play Fallout and Skyrim, maybe they only play Zelda games (no trophies, but the concept is the same), or maybe they are the most common type and invest heavily into online gaming. At any rate, they are true masters of their games, however few those games may be.

Now this may suprise many people, but these challenges have always been present before trophies. Trophies did nothing to alter the gameplay by being put in. They also do not measure ones worth as a gamer. They simply advertise the style that best suits you.

They are there for fun and social purposes, not a measure of wether or not you have completed a game. Only you, the gamer, can decide what your money is worth, regardless of if you spend 100 hours in a game and stop at 90%, play 30 and move on, or squeeze every ounce of content out and go for platinum. We are all gamers in the end.

Short version, the article could not me more wrong.

[Teflon02]

I collect them for personal reasons. I love to 100% games, since I was little, I spent months figuring out how to get everything in Super Mario World at a really young age and since, I've done the same for most titles. when I was like 8 or so I 120 stared Mario 64, As a kid did everything in Zelda OoT, 201 Banana'd DK64, DKC1 only beat because I didn't know how to keep track on bonus stuff. But DKC3 100%, Every Ratchet and clank on PS2 100% with no cheats or glitches, even saved up for the rhyno in the first game without new game plus because I didn't know it existed. 100% Dark Cloud 1 and nearly 2 (damn near impossible but I tried back then, now I almost have since I know the game inside out). Point is, once Achievements were on X360, I was happy when I played 360 games, it was another reason to play games. I prefered playstation but wished it had it. Kucily right when I first got PS3 they were adding it to games. Not alot but every game apart from ratchet had it. Resistance 2, LBP, Uncharted and GTA all had and apart from a few like 10000 kills in Resistance and GTAIV's hassle of a list I completed them. They're all things I'd do if it had a in game counter anways. A good example is Neptunia VII having mid missions for stupid things like walking distance to boost health etc. I completed everything, got all endings, all weapons etc. But still wanted to do it for the sake of completion though it didn't have trophies. Only reason I didn't is the new version of VIIR releasing.
Trophies where made for people like me who love a reason to get the most out of a game. I always got lost on people who think they were a horrible addition, if you don't like them or don't care, turn off trophy notifications and just play your game. For others like me platinum trophies are the most satisfying thing for 100% completion as you can carry that through your gaming career no matter what

[InactiveUser]

Missed stat padders who play the easyest games possible to pad their platinum/trophy count.

I like and dislike them. I like the challenge, finishing what I started, sometimes being forced to play the game in ways you wouldn't have thought of normally can be fun. I dislike when poorly conceived trophies become a chore. Monotonous grinding trophies don't make me feel a sense of accomplishment. I just think, damn, glad that s##t's finally over.

[DeadManMMX]

They've actually made me enjoy gaming more. When I finish a platinum I really feel like I have done everything the game has to offer and can move on without ever looking back.

[TheColbertinator]

Another great article from playstationenthusiast

[Dragonscale]

He said the same thing about achievements just in case you didn't read past the header.

[TheGoodestBoi]

Na, they're the best

[LoveSpuds]

I can sympathise with the writer of this article completely, I enjoy and hate trophies/achievements in equal measure. I just can't seem to switch my brain off to ignore trophies, but I find them a slog at the same time.

I am playing through Last of Us again currently and after this play through I will have earned every single player trophy but, it drives me mad that I won't get a Platinum because of the bloody MP trophies, to the point that I am considering playing the multiplayer even though I will find it a massive chore because I am shit at MP.

[LucasRuinedChildhood]

I like trophies when they are well implemented or it's feasible to get most of them through my play-style (do all main missions, side missions and look around for collectibles). When i finish a game and I have 10-20% of the trophies, I'm not going to lie though - it is absolutely infuriating. Trophies are supposed to be a carrot on a stick but some developers take it as an opportunity to make you do chores while you're playing a video-game.

The Last Of Us is one of the best games that I have ever played, but I'm thankful that I didn't care about trophies as much when I played it because most people finish that game with about 9% of the trophies. Awful trophy list. It focuses way too much on collectibles. I assume that you had to look at a video guide to account for the multiple types of collectibles and dialogue with Ellie in that game and you looked at it while you were playing the game to make sure that you didn't miss anything. Having to follow a guide while playing video game greatly irritates me. Developers should not have that expectation or at least, should only have that expectation for 1 or 2 trophies.

[LoveSpuds]

I only needed a guide to find 1 of the conversations, I got everything else on my own.

It's my favourite game and I have finished it around 8 times between PS3 and PS4, I have also got the plat in every Naughty Dog title since Uncharted on PS3, so I think that's why I find the Plat for TLOU so tantalising.

[kneon]

Itwould be better if the SP and MP parts of a game were treated as separate entities when it comes to trophies. Each would have it's own unique trophies, including their own platinum. That way MP focused players aren't forced to finish the SP if they want the platinum, and the SP focused players won't have to play the MP.

[BlackTar187]

Tlou is the most underrated mp of last gen. I love the story but as a socom gamer it's the closest in teamwork and strategy. Play it

[LucasRuinedChildhood]

Yeah, it's insanely good.

[rainslacker]

I've noticed that Sony's more recent trophy lists tend to be relatively short(mid 30s) in comparison to most other games(50-60). Lots more silvers and golds to be had. This is great in SP games IMO, because it doesn't focus to much on stupid things that aren't that interesting to do....like get 50 head shots with a water pistol while wearing a bunny hat.

Anyhow, TLOU MP trophies apparently aren't all that hard. You just have to make it through the MP "campaigns", and the other ones in there aren't terribly hard to get. I never bothered, but I looked into it last time I played it. But after a Grounded Mode playthrough for a couple trophies, I didn't have it in me.

That being said, my only real issue with MP trophies being tied to platinums is that eventually, MP servers go down, making it impossible to get a platinum on a game....thus affecting those who care about their completion percentages. Granted, DLC also is considered in completion percentages, both on PSN and tracking sites....which in itself can be annoying.

[KwietStorm_BLM]

That sensationalism is sensational.

[godofboobees]

Since sony gives me points for earning trophies its improved my gaming experience. Sucks for you

[JonTheGod]

*stands up* (ahem)

My name is JonTheGod and I have 105k gamerscore on Xbox and 70 platinums on PlayStation.

(round of applause)
*sits down*

[LucasRuinedChildhood]

I had a look at on PSNProfiles: https://psnprofiles.com/Jon...

You don't have a Hannah Montana platinum or a My Name Is Mayo platinum or any licensed movie game platinum. It seems like you've just stuck to games that you actually like. Respect.

[ziggurcat]

Don't talk shit about My Name is Mayo.

[rainslacker]

I have several plats from The Walking Dead, and The Walking Dead 2. PS3, PS4, Vita versions. Also have the non-platinum 100% version from the collectors edition for that game.

So, while I did stack those trophies, I will say I actually really did enjoy that game, and replayed them on different platforms to see the different story possibilities.

I didn't buy all those versions of the game for the plats though. I'm a collector, and had them anyways.

I can't think of any game I played just to get an easy platinum. I won't even play a game to platinum unless I like it. Even if its an easy one.

[WeAreLegion]

I actually really enjoy a lot of licensed games. But I only platinum them if they're fun. Hannah Montana was awful. Where The Wild Things Are was really good.

[JonTheGod]

The only reason I don't have the Mayo plat is because it's not available in the UK. I do, however, have plats for Little Adventure on the Prairie (twice), 36 Fragments of Midnight (twice), Black & White Bushido, Energy Cycle, Nubla (twice), Coffin Dodgers, Terminator Salvation.

All shockingly easy platinums. But then I think that's offset by getting the platinum on Goat Simulator. That Flappy Goat trophy made me want to hurt the devs and set fire to my TV.

[CrimsonWing69]

It depends on the kind of gamer you are.

Back in the day I would 100% games and get all the unlockables. Now, with trophy and achievements, I don’t feel like I’ve finished a game all the way if I see trophies and Cheevos locked. It’s crippling to those with OCD. I feel it has ruined gaming for me because if I see there’s impossible trophies to unlock it’s hard for me to mentally be ok with not 100%’ing a game and therefore I might pass it up.

I’m not upset that they exist but for those with the OCD to complete a game 100% it can ruin a game for you. Like I was playing FF9 on PS1 and absolutely could not go forward until I got the 1000 jump rope trophy... needless to say, I have not played past that part and I probably won’t go back to it because I can’t get that trophy.

[rainslacker]

While I understand because I have some OCD as well, I have to say that while I may go into a game feeling this way, I can bring myself to give it up if I'm not enjoying the game.

If it really bothers you that much, you can remote play the jump rope trophy with a PC, with some program whose name I forget, which will basically do it for you. Same with the lightning thing in FFX.

[bluefox755]

I wouldn't call myself a trophy hunter, but if I really enjoy a game, it's cool to have something extra to work for.

[jznrpg]

It is up to you to let it “ruin” your experience or not. If you care about them you go for them if you don’t you get them anyway but don’t need to focus on them at all. You are to blame . I am lvl 21 in PS but I don’t have a lot of platinums , only a few games do I ever try just because I like them so much like Demons Souls Bloodborner and a few other RPGs. But generally I don’t go for platinum I just try to beat the games on hardest difficulty I can handle.

[VTKC]

Just play the game how you want to and enjoy it.

An example is in Mass Effect 1. You get an achievement for being full Paragon or full Renegade for entire game from the choices you make. I was full Paragon right the way up to near the end where i decided to make a decision that was renegade. I decided to not help the council because right through the game they did not believe me and sided with the bad guy. It was so satisfying to let them die. Now if i did help them just to get the achievement of full paragon then it would ruin my experience of the game as i would be going against my intentions for the sake of the achievement

[rainslacker]

Now, see that is a more valid example of how it can ruin a game. If it'd force you to make a decision in a certain way. I can see this being a big thing in games like Heavy Rain or Beyond:Two Souls. In fact, I know for my 2nd play through of Beyond, to see the different story parts, I researched the decisions to get the trophies. When I played it on the PS3, I didn't feel like going through the effort of getting the plat, but later got it on the PS4.

However, in your example wasn't the Renegade and Paragon system based on overall accumulation, and one single decision wouldn't have ruined ones final inclination?

Generally for games like that, or ME, or whatever is story based, I tend to just play through the game without worrying about trophies. Then if I like the game, I'll go back and trophy hunt. On rare occassions, I might go through with a guide to maximize getting trophies, but I do that more on replays of games I've played in the past. For instance, FFVII re-release on PS4, I went through with a walk through, even though I have played the game countless times and knew most of it. I just did it with a guide to make sure I got the trophies. Same with my final attempt to finish up FFX Remaster on the PS4.

[VTKC]

You had to be 100 percent one or the other. My friend was moaning about how he had to play it through numerous times to get the achievements.

[rainslacker]

I must be remembering it wrong then. I recall you could make some decisions that could go the opposite direction. Maybe it didn't apply to the major decisions that affected the bigger story.

[Profchaos]

I think they are a positive thing when implemented correctly and not stupidly difficult. It pushed me to see more of fallout as I was close to a platnuim in f4 and lead to great experiences trying to get the platnuim

[N8]

I care about it depending on what game it is. I love god of war and I plan on getting the platinum for that game.

[Matrix6]

Trophies are great for loose stats. You can observe the approximate the percentage of gamers finishing the game or how far they've gone.

[Nailrat]

Give it up already.

The first trophies came out over ten years ago.

To put that in perspective, ten years before trophies were introduced, Metal Gear Solid hadn't been released.

You may as well be an old man yelling at a cloud.

[BrettAwesome]

German sausages are the wurst

[nexusx]

this fool probably didn't play on PC.

[solidossnakos]

Never cared about achievement or trophies, I play games to enjoy them, not replaying a level over and over just to get that stupid thingy crossed.

[shauzy]

yet whenever im aiming to get achievements it would always be on playstation

[AmUnRa]

No, some people are hooked to get all the trophies of a game. Hell they even look on internet to get all the trophies the easy way. There are also gamers who platinum a lot of indygames to get all the trophies they can get, just to show off.
I care for the game and want to play it first on medium than on hard. Dont care for trophies. Its like who has the biggest car. It is an addiction, to show of against other players on your friends list. So i care for the games not the trophies.

[TheDriz]

Another PlayStation hate article. Didn’t see that coming.....

[T2X]

I still don't understand why they didn't make the trophy system like trading stamps of the old days. Get a bunch and cash them in for a free game or theme, or at least a discount on something you could purchase through the PSN. If they did that, people would really care a lot more about them. They add a bit of fun for me , but not a huge deal.

[CyberRekkr]

If you like chasing them great. If you don't great. I for one gave up chasing them because it kinda made me hate certain games because you basically had to no life it to achieve certain platinum trophies. But it does make you a better gamer. At least it did me.